Friday 22/10/04

Finally booked out of Broadford after 10 days. Caught the 9.50 bus to Portree in iffish weather - showers. Went to the library to try uploading pictures, but the process took absolutely ages, and in the end could only manage 4, of which one was a dud. Next stop the post office to mail off some maps. I may need them if I decide to stay in Skye. After a lightning visit to Safeways, I jumped on the 12.26 to Flodigarry, which arrived there at 13.03. Gavin welcomed me to a very nice hostel, particularly the kitchen deserves commendation. Well equipped and bright. There was also a piano, but blimey was that a wreck. Several notes well out of tune and the E-flat below central-C sounded like a combined E-flat/D. Aargh. At 13.20 I set off for the 3 mile walk to the Quiraing. This walk gets more complicated the closer you get to the escarpment. At The Prison, you have to descend a scree-slope, and basically you cannot afford a mistake in your orienteering. You'll end up on an impossibly steep slope, with no safe means of descent or ascent. There is also the stream, which can only be crossed by using the steps gouged out by previous walkers. At 15.45 I stood at the top of the hairpins, and after a short break proceeded down the 1:7 slope. Two cemeteries later, I turned left at Brogaig and subjected myself to a 2.5mile roadslog. In the evening, an Aussie lady, Amy, joined me at the hostel, and we chatted for a bit, also in the nearby hotel bar. This can be reached along a poorly lit path, which is basically a load of gravel dumped on top of a layer of thick plastic. Oh dear.